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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23735749">Why do you care?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/typicalmidnightsoul/pseuds/typicalmidnightsoul'>typicalmidnightsoul</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Friendship, Jealousy, Platonic Relationships, love square?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:33:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,329</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23735749</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/typicalmidnightsoul/pseuds/typicalmidnightsoul</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off a promp i saw on tumblr from @rhysismine where they talk about the hardcore friendship of Elain and Cassian and Nesta and Azriel getting jealous and I thought hey what if because of that Nesta and Azriel become friends</p><p>or</p><p>She let out a small laugh at the shadow that was curling around her neck, her fingers.<br/>“I’ve never seen you laugh,” he said in awe, “you have dimples.”<br/>She glanced at him. Maybe staying here wouldn’t be so bad if she had a friend but…<br/>“Are you talking to me to make Elain feel jealous, Azriel?”<br/>He chuckled, “No, no. I am a bit lonely if you didn’t realise. Then I saw you were too. So I thought… we could be lonely together.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elain Archeron/Azriel, Nesta Archeron/Cassian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>66</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Why do you care?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hehehehe i hope you enjoy this I certainly had fun writing it, and cant any of you see Nesta and Azriel having a platonic relationship from the way he spoke about her in acofas with no malice or nothing, Anyway I always waffle on so plz forgive me XX</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nesta looked over from her book to the sound of Cassian’s rough laugh and Elain’s giggles. She glared at the sight. She didn’t loathe Elain for finding a friend in this… place. No, she didn’t know why she was angry and she didn’t intend on dwelling on the matter. She wondered what had happened to Elain’s relationship with Azriel. </p><p>As if she’d somehow summoned him, he appeared in front of her, shadows curling around his figure. He gave her a small smile then turned his head to the side. The smile fell off his face replaced with a look made of pure ice; a muscle flickered in his jaw.</p><p>He returned his attention back on Nesta, on the book in her hands. </p><p>“I’ve read that.” He said. </p><p>There was no anger in Nesta’s face, no hate. She didn’t know him but for some reason she could never spew hate on Azriel. Maybe it was because of the way he treated Elain, or maybe it was because of the scars that licked his hands. </p><p>She took her feet off the couch. He took that as an invitation to sit. She wasn’t facing him but she felt a slight tickle coming from his end. She let out a small laugh at the shadow that was curling around her neck, her fingers.</p><p>“I’ve never seen you laugh,” he said in awe, “you have dimples.”</p><p>She glanced at him. Maybe staying here wouldn’t be so bad if she had a friend but…</p><p>“Are you talking to me to make Elain feel jealous, Azriel?” </p><p>He chuckled, “No, no. I am a bit lonely if you didn’t realise. Then I saw you were too. So I thought… we could be lonely together.”</p><p> She didn’t answer, only smiled as another shadow curled around her arm. </p><p>“Why do you hide them whenever you’re around Elain?”</p><p>He dropped his eyes to the floor.</p><p>“She has suffered too much darkness, and for me to show her mine…” he trailed off.</p><p>“Beautiful things can be born out of the darkness,” she only replied swirling the shadow between two fingers. </p><p>“Of course, I count you as an example,” he said.</p><p>She laughed noticing the way his hazel eyes twinkle when she did. </p><p>What she didn’t notice was Cassian’s glare on her back.  </p><p>***<br/>
As the weeks and months crawled by Nesta and Azriel’s relationship only got stronger. Nesta had opened up about her past, all the heartbreaks she experienced the betrayals her father separating them from her maternal family which had broken her mother and her. In return Azriel had told her his past, not just what everyone knew but the years spent in the dungeons. They understood each other’s pain, and by sharing the burden they both opened up.  </p><p>Feyre had insisted that Nesta buy new clothes that maybe moving on meant to change how she looked or how she saw things. It was Azriel who convinced Nesta by saying he would go with her and pick out her clothes. </p><p>They came back late at night with Azriel carrying all the shopping and Nesta eating her way through a huge stick of candy floss. Mor immediately came to steal some of which ended in Nesta and Mor chasing each other. Az came in and dropped all the shopping on the floor. </p><p>Feyre and Elain came to inspect the shopping. Feyre held up a ruched slash necked cropped shirt in mustard yellow. </p><p>“She bought this?!” </p><p>Az inspected it. “No, I forced her to as I did for most of the clothes and threatened her so she wears all of these.” </p><p>Elain was staring at him with some sort of longing in his eyes. Azriel didn’t seem to notice. Cassian outright gaped at the scene that had just unfolded in from of him.</p><p>***<br/>
Nesta looked out of her window. Elain was laughing at something Cassian had said and she said something back which sent Cassian roaring. She wondered if they were anything more than friends, in the amount of time that went by maybe they were. She was mad.</p><p>Wait, no I’m not. Why should I care? I have Az, Elain has…him. I don’t care. </p><p>A tap pulled her out of her thoughts. </p><p>“You ok?” Azriel asked.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, just a bit lost on what I should wear,” Nesta replied.</p><p>Az looked down below in the garden at where her attention was.</p><p>“Uh-huh yeah totally.” He looked at her, “well I hope I'm not interrupting but… I have something for you.”<br/>
He gave her a white bag.</p><p>She took out the contents and gasped.</p><p>“Now, before you start assuming things just know that I was in the artists’ shop when I saw this painting in her workshop, I inquired about it and she said we were here muse, so she would paint us when were out and about.” </p><p>She took in the painting of her and Az walking together, his arm around her shoulder, both laughing their heads off. She embraced him too emotional for words. They stood there for a long time until Feyre shouted from below,</p><p>“What’s all the hugging about? Did Az propose?” They both laughed and Nesta showed Feyre the picture.</p><p>“Awww, that is so cute,” Feyre gushed, “But if you didn’t notice Mor is dragging us all out to go to Rita’s, so you might want to get ready before she starts screaming.”</p><p>They both chuckled. Her eyes met with Cassian’s. It was cold, for the first time since she’d known him there was no warmth in his eyes. Her smile faltered.</p><p>***<br/>
Nesta was officially alone. Of course, she told Az to leave her so he could go and ask Elain what’s wrong. She did not know that right after she would get hit on by all the men in the club.</p><p> Maybe her choice of wearing a ruched sleeved Bardot top with volume around her bust in candy apple red with a long black wrap skirt was not a wise decision.  Probably a worthless one if the man who she wore it for didn’t even notice her.</p><p>“Nesta,” A rough voice said behind her.</p><p>Oh speak of the devil she turned around and raised a brow.</p><p>“As ravishing as you look today, it seems you haven’t accepted a single offer to bed.” Not a single hint of the iciness she saw that afternoon.</p><p>“It seems I’m as good at hiding my coldness towards people as you are.” He tilted his head in confusion.</p><p>“This afternoon, in the garden?” She raised her brown again.</p><p>“Am I supposed to deny that I get jealous when I see you and Az together?” He only replied quietly.</p><p>Now that is a possibility I did not consider.</p><p>“Why would you get jealous? You have Elain.” She retorted.</p><p>He scanned her eyes, “it seems like I'm not the only one who’s jealous. Elain and I are just friends, sweetheart. You and Az seem to cross the lines of friendship though.” </p><p>She gaped at him before saying, “we are platonic but not… sexual, anyway why do you care?”</p><p>He chuckled and got up, “come and dance with me Nesta.”</p><p>“Not until you answer my question,” she stepped closer to him dropping her voice to a whisper, “why do you care?”</p><p>“The same reason as you.” He only answered.</p><p>“Which is?”</p><p>“Dance with me and find out.”</p><p>She inspected the dance floor, at the agile movements of dips and twirls.</p><p> “I don’t know how to dance like that,” she whispered.</p><p>He only took her hand and tugged. “I’ll teach you.”</p><p>He twirled her, flung her out and back in again and dipped her. This continued as Nesta laughed. She had forgotten all about the question so when, on the last twirl, Cassian whispered in her ear,</p><p>“I love you.” She wasn’t prepared.</p><p>A last dip and she was back in his arms, their foreheads touching. </p><p>Her eyes burned, but she smiled, her dimples on full show and only whispered back,</p><p>“I love you too.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>leave me a comment i love your feedback XX Add me up on tumblr @typicalmidnightsoul</p></blockquote></div></div>
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